how long has milk + honey been in business?

It is crazy to believe that we have recently surpassed another anniversary! We have been in business for four amazing years, and have loved every minute of it.

are you good with children in case we decide to include ours?

We love all babies, toddlers, children, pre-teens, & teens, and even have our own (baby that is). Getting to work with awesome families like yours is why we started MILK + HONEY, and each year we just seem to have more and more fun!

are you dog friendly?

Furry friends are always welcome in front of our lens!

will you give any tips for how to dress and look great in our session?

Absolutely! Once you are all signed up for your Maternity Portrait Session, we will send a VIP link your way where you can get some great tips to help get you prepare for the perfect session.

HOW DO WE KNOW IF YOU ARE A Great MATCH FOR US?

We believe that a great photographer and client combo comes by a few different things, personalities blending, expectation and budget lining up, and of course you must love our style! We love to not only work with our clients, but also to surpass your greatest expectations with heartfelt kindness and absolutely stunning photos that you can go wild over and treasure for years to come.

what is your photography style?

We love to capture our Maternity Mamas authentically so that when you look back on these images years from now, they will radiate with the love you have today. We also know that your parents are expecting some formal images of you all that they can frame, so don't worry we will make sure to get those in as well! Our photography style is a little photo journalistic at times, but most would consider ours a lifestyle session that we add a dash of tradition too.

how far in advance do we need to book our maternity portrait session?

Maternity Portrait Sessions are held a few times a month, and to ensure your spot and time are available we recommend booking as soon as possible. We open up dates at the beginning of the year, and then periodically throughout the year. You can reserve what will work best for your family at any time, and reservations are booked upon a first come first booking basis.

how far along should i be when i take my maternity portrait?

We always recommend that the best time to take your maternity portraits is between 32-34 weeks. At this time you will have an adorable bump going on, and you will hopefully still be comfortable walking around for your session!

is it okay if i do my maternity session with just me?

Of course! There are so many Maternity Mamas who prefer to do a session with just them and their beautiful bump, and they come out absolutely stunning as well!

what do you have to do to book a session?

To book a session just send us an inquiry, and we will let you temporarily reserve your date and time that you are interested in. We will reach out to you soon after with a Maternity Portrait Proposal that includes your payment information and a 20% retainer fee, and a General Model Release for you and all parties being photographed.

we are just interested in a smaller session. do you offer mini sessions?

We do offer Mini Portrait Sessions in the Spring & Fall. Inquire today, and we will send you a calendar for you to reserve your Mini Portrait Session today. If you Sign-Up for our email alerts, we will keep you informed of when new dates open up!

Why aren't Mini Sessions always offered?

Mini Portrait Sessions are reserved for a few times per year as a shorter session that a family can use as an extra session during the year, or families can use as a smaller session that better fits their needs. These are Special Sessions that we do not always offer, because you do not benefit from the same type of coverage like you do in our regular Portrait Sessions.

HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE finals?

You should expect to see your portrait finals in no more than two weeks. We always aim to complete your portrait images in the least amount of time possible, so often you will get them even quicker than that! We know that waiting on final images can seem like forever, so we do our best to give you your finals as soon as possible, so you can enjoy them, print, and share away!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS FOR? did you go to school to become a photographer?

I have been a professional photographer for four years. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Business from California State University Dominguez Hills, an MBA with an emphasis in Marketing from California State University Dominguez Hills, and as well a ton of photography education and courses under my belt from different sources such as WPPI, Click, Creative Live, and some of the highest sought after professional photographers in the business! I am a life long learner, and even though I have already spent over 4500 hours perfecting my craft, I still continue to push myself to become a better photographer everyday.

DO WE GET EVERY single IMAGE THAT YOU SHOOT?

Believe it or not, you would not want every single image or frame that we are going to take. Some frames are just throw away images that are taken while setting up our lighting, and you know there will be a few that capture somebody mid-sneeze! As well, we know you don't actually want to look back on that awkward face you made when you weren't quite ready for us to take that one photo, and we took a few extra images that all looked exactly the same during traditional photos because we wanted to make sure no one blinking in the finals we will be editing.

Sifting through all of these images is part of the job you are investing in, and a part that you wouldn't want to do. Trust that we are going to be give you ALL of the best images from your portrait session. We are skilled, and have an eye for this, and that is why you are going to hire us! So when it comes time to see your finals, you can be confident that not only did we give you every amazing image there was to see, but that your finals will be absolutely gorgeous.

Will you be Photoshopping our images?

We stay out of Photoshop by taking amazing images "in camera." Our editing and post production is done in Lightroom, and by posing you in the most flattering and authentic ways and knowing how to always control the light, gives us consistently beautiful photos.

HOW MANY IMAGES WILL WE GET?

You can estimate to receive 75 final images for a Regular Portrait Session, or 25 final images for a seasonal Mini Portrait Session.

DO YOU HAVE good gear? BACK UP GEAR? DO YOU BACK UP OUR PHOTOS?

Yes, and double yes! We have not one, but two Nikon D750's, and a ton of amazing lenses that we will be using to capture your day, 70-200 mm 2.8 Tamron lens, 24-70 mm 2.8 Tamron lens, 35 1.8 Nikon lens, 50 mm 1.4 Nikon lens, & an 85 mm 1.4 Sigma lens. Last, we back up your images, and take every precaution to protect them, because we know how priceless these images are.

what if you don't feel like you are very photogenic?

Did you know that most people don't feel like they are very photogenic? We feel that way too, so you are definitely not alone in this category, but guess what?! We specialize in organic images that do still start from a pose (shhhhh). This means that we will start shooting from a pose where we will line you up, set you up, and always make you look your best! We will still get organic laughter, happiness, and movement in our images, but will start you always from the most flattering position. Our mission is to always photograph the best you, and if you have any special requests, we will always oblige (like having a favorite side of your face).

DO YOU GET TO KEEP ALL OF YOUR IMAGES EVEN IF YOU Decide not to purchase PRINTS?

You get to keep all of your final images in high resolution format, end of story. You are not forced to buy prints, however we strongly encourage you to do so. If you keep all of your maternity images living purely on social media, hidden in the archives of your laptop, or unseen in a desk drawer on a USB, then you will never see them... unless of course Facebook is reminding you that you took your maternity photos xx amount of years ago. Seriously though, can you imagine if you NEVER saw any of your families photos hanging on the walls or sitting on a shelf when you were growing up?! You should definitely print at least a few of your favorite memories from your session, and hang them or shelf them with pride!

IF we DO DECIDE TO purchase PRINTs, DOES IT HAVE TO BE THROUGH YOU?

We always give you the choice to print how you want to print. However, our printers are hands down the absolute best there are not only because they have unmatched quality, but because your digital files are actually calibrated to be printed on those printers. What does that mean? It means that the colors you see when you look at your images, will look the same when you print them through us. Cheaper prints and printers often over saturate and change digital file colors in their print processes, which can make your images look lesser than when printed. Not to mention, our exclusive paper options like our Artisan Matte are AMAZING, and you don't want to miss out on them! We guarantee all of our prints and albums, so if they don't turn out perfect for any reason, you will get them remade for you complimentary.

DO YOU TRAVEL FOR sessions? is it expensive?

We love to travel, and are constantly trying to come up with new reasons to do so! If you are not in a local community around Charlotte, still inquire and let's see if we can travel to you all for free! There are lots of options, and often one of the best is just getting some more families together in your area who are also looking for family photos. We can't wait to work with you, no matter where you are located!

Are you a legit photographer? are you insured?

Oh heck yes! My camera and equipment are insured to the max, which not only protects myself and my gear, it also protects my clients.

can you provide us with any other vendor recommendations for our portrait session?

Absolutely! Whether you are looking for someone to blow out your hair, or to perfect your make-up on the day of your session, I can always recommend someone amazing.

have you ever been featured in any publications before?

Well, you are going to make us blush! We have, and are so very proud of our features. So far we have been recognized and published in Southern Bride, Borrowed and Blue, Burnett's Boards, Southern Celebrations, BUSTLD, The Carolina's Magazine, Luxe Mountain Weddings, Two Bright Lights, and Charlotte Brides. We absolutely love to submit our work to be potentially published, and would love to start submitting our beautiful Portrait Sessions as well down the road.

Who is "we" referring to? who is part of milk + honey photography co?

Hey there! My name is Megan Cantrell, and I am the Owner, Lead Photographer, and Editing Artisan of Milk and Honey Photography Co. My husband has worked alongside me for most of my weddings over the years, and he turns "I", into an "us." Now we are a family of three, and I still consider my family to be part of my business, even if they are not standing next to me while I am taking pictures.